Watch JRCS Videos on Initial Ishinomaki JRCS Hospital Response to Tsunami and JRCS One Year Later:
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Final Donation Made to JRCS:
On March 31, 2013, JASH stopped accepting donations for Japan Disaster Relief begun under the state-wide "Aloha for Japan" campaign. On April 25, JASH President Ed Hawkins visited JRCS headquarters in Tokyo and made the last donation of remaining funds amounting to $86,749.58. On hand to accept the donation was Vice President of the JRCS, Mr. Yoshiharu Otsuka. In all, the people of Hawaii donated $3,963,250. These funds were distributed directly to the people of Tohoku through grants, or were used by the JRCS to bring needed food, medicine, equipment, and psychological counseling to the affected people. Funds were also used by the JRCS to provide clean water and outfit temporary shelters with electric appliances. See the following article for additional photo of the donation to JRCS
here.
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Sixteen Rainbow for Japan Kids to arrive in Hawaii in July:
The seventh group of junior high school students from the three disaster affected prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima will arrive on July 29th for the Rainbow for Japan Kids program. The sixteen visitors will bring to nearly 150 total students who have been brought to Hawaii under this project since its inception in July 2011. As in previous visits, the students will stay in YMCA Camp Erdman on Oahu's North Shore engaging in outdoor activities with local children from local schools. The visitors will travel to the Big Island to experience traditional Hawaiian culture at Keahou Bay and stay at Kilauea Military Camp in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where they will hike around the craters, hear stories about the Polynesian discovery of the Islands, and do stargazing at night. Several Bridge Club Hawaii members will join the Japanese kids on the Big Island this time. Back on Oahu, the students will again engage in water activities at Hilton's Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon, courtesy of Hilton Grand Vacations/Waikiki Beach Activities, and make their own ukuleles at KoAloha Ukulele, courtesy of the KoAloha staff. The students are scheduled to return to Japan on August 7.
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JASH set to send Hawaii's Kids to Tohoku:
JASH has set the dates for the visit of Hawaii's kids to the disaster affected region of Tohoku to reconnect with Japanese kids who came to Hawaii under the Rainbow for Japan Kids program. Under a grant from the U.S.-Japan Council/U.S. Embassy TOMODACHI Initiative, JASH will send eight children from Hawaii who participated in activities with visiting Japanese children to renew friendships in Japan July 11-17. With the assistance of our partners in Japan, Miyagi's Bikki Organization, Hawaii's children will visit schools, temporary shelters, and tsunami-hit regions to engage in a volunteer activity. A reunion of Rainbow for Japan Kids is planned for July 14th in Sendai which Hawaii’s children are expected to attend. This is the first year of a multi-year agreement with TOMODACHI to promote its goal of building a "TOMODACHI Generation" of youths by investing in the next generation of Japanese and Americans in ways that strengthen cultural and economic ties, and deepen the friendship between the United States and Japan in the long term. JASH is proud to be a partner with TOMODACHI. Read more about TOMODACHI-Rainbow here.
here.
JASH to end role in RFJK this year:
Disaster relief will take a new direction starting this year. The final "road ahead" report will be sent following completion of Rainbow for Japan Kids #7 in July/August.
Thoughts on Donations from JASH President:
"I want to insure all my donations go directly to the people in Japan affected by the earthquake and tsunami." I hear this comment from many people who make donations to JASH. Perhaps these comments have been influenced by reporting in the media or hearsay regarding how donated funds may not all be getting to the disaster victims. It's generally the case that portions of donations to non-profit organizations, to include the Japan Red Cross Society, are used to support their own operations. For the JRCS that operates hospitals throughout Japan to include the disaster area (see the video on Ishinomaki JRCS Hospital's initial response to the earthquake and tsunami), that means maintaining doctors, nurses, counselors and other staff as well as power and maintenance costs for their facilities. In short, no organization would be able to deliver its lifesaving care and assistance without using some of the donations for operational and administrative costs. But the focus of all their work and effort is to help victims, as the videos show. Your donations are being used, as stated by the JRCS, to provide assistance to the victims. This well-formed, well-staffed, and well-trained cadre of workers and volunteers are doing this each day. Your donations to JASH that are provided to the JRCS help victims directly, nothing else. All donations to the Rainbow for Japan Kids program are used for that program only.
Report of Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) Activities
JRCS Operations Update and Financial Report:
Click on the link for the latest JRCS activities and expenditures reports. Through a special agreement with JASH, the JRCS has specifically identified donations originating from the people of Hawaii as "Japan-America Society of Hawaii." Read the Financial Report (as of March 31)
here.
and JRCS Activities Update (as of March 31) to see how the funds have been used
here.
Japanese Red Cross Society's 12 Month Report:
The JRCS has provided a one-year anniversary narrative report of its activities which is available at its
website.
The financial report is also available. Ms. Naoko Tochibayashi, Program Officer for its International Relief Division conveys: "I hope that the information in the report will help you better understand the activities of the JRCS, without your support, none of which would have been possible. We are grateful for your warm support for the people of Japan and sincerely appreciate your continuous support."
The contribution from the people of Hawaii is listed as "Hawaii Japan U.S. Friendship Association." The total does not include the initial $1,000,000 donation that went to a cash fund to pay out directly to victims of the tragedy. The total distribution to the JRCS so far equals $3,800,000.
Over one year following the tragic March 11 triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident surrounding the Great East Japan Earthquake, the people of northeastern Japan continue to heroically and determinedly recover from this tragedy. Through local and government efforts and infusion of international assistance, the region is on its way to recovery. However, the need is still great. Initial rescue and relief operations have turned to resettlement and long term recovery projects. The Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS), the recipient for the statewide Aloha for Japan campaign, remains active collecting donations and providing recovery support to the people of Tohoku. Aloha for Japan campaign closed its formal fundraising last October. Since then, JASH has continued to take donations for Japan Disaster Relief, sending specified funds to the JRCS. JASH will continue to collect donations for Japan Disaster Relief as long as the JRCS continues to accept donations. Donations should be made to JASH, not Aloha for Japan as that campaign has ended. We will continue to insure 100% of your donations go to the people of Japan. The program started soon after the disaster to assist children directly affected by the tragedy by bringing them to Hawaii for rest, recuperation, and physical psychological relief called "Rainbow for Japan Kids" is still ongoing. So far over 100 Japanese children have been brought to Hawaii, and we intend to continue with this program for another year. Those who would like to support this project can donate to JASH, designating the funds for "Rainbow for Japan Kids." You may send a check or donate online on this website.
Please send all donations to:
Japan-America Society of Hawaii
PO Box 1412
Honolulu, HI 96806-1412
